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18 May 2012

18 May 2012– More than 3,000 Japanese business leaders and government officials have taken part in a series of events this week in Japan. “Think Global, Think Hong Kong” (TGTHK), the largest promotional campaign ever launched in Japan by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), is showcasing Hong Kong’s advantages for Japanese companies looking to tap new business opportunities in Asia, particularly on the Chinese mainland. The promotion concludes tomorrow (19 May).

Tokyo and Osaka SymposiumsTGTHK’s two main events, high-profile symposiums in Tokyo, 15 May, and Osaka, 17 May, drew more than 1,600 and 900 participants respectively. In both cities, thematic sessions followed the symposiums.

A 15 May Hong Kong Dinner in Tokyo attracted nearly 700 business and political leaders from Japan and Hong Kong.

Hong Kong StrengthsJapanese response to Think Global, Think Hong Kong has been enthusiastic. At yesterday’s Osaka symposium, Osaka Prefecture Governor Ichiro Matsui noted: "Hong Kong and Osaka are two cities that very much resemble each other, but Hong Kong is really a much larger international financial centre. So we in Japan’s Kansai region would very much like to utilise Hong Kong’s strengths.”

The Osaka governor’s comments echoed those of Hong Kong SAR Government Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development Gregory So, who led the TGTHK delegation of more than 130 Hong Kong government officials and business leaders in Japan. “Through the symposiums, we aim to foster even stronger ties between Hong Kong and Japan, highlighting how our city’s unique strengths can assist Japanese firms in spreading their wings to reach markets on the Chinese mainland, across Asia and all over the world.”

Opening yesterday’s symposium in Osaka, HKTDC Executive Director Fred Lam emphasised the promise of partnership that the two economies offer each other. “Whatever your product, service or business idea, partner with Hong Kong. Together, we can create opportunity that rewards us all.”

The afternoon discussions that followed the symposiums offered participants marketing intelligence and practical information on how Japanese companies can work with Hong Kong to do business in Asia, especially the Chinese mainland. Topics included selling consumer brands, creating and distributing digital content, partnership opportunities in environmental and manufacturing technology, setting up business in the mainland’s Pearl River Delta, professional legal advice for doing business on the mainland, and opportunities from Hong Kong’s expanding renminbi business.

Business ConsultationProfessional services providers from Hong Kong’s financial, corporate, accounting and legal sectors offered free business consultation to participants throughout the events. Business-matching sessions were organised in Tokyo and Osaka, with about 250 Japanese companies taking part in Tokyo.

Two HKTDC missions covering health food and technology, and two missions organised by the Hong Kong Cyberport Management Company Ltd and the Law Society of Hong Kong, attended the symposiums, expanding networking opportunities for Japanese companies.

Supporting OrganisationsThink Global, Think Hong Kong was organised in association with the Japan External Trade Organisation and Small and Medium Enterprises and Regional Innovation, Japan. In addition, the promotion welcomed the support of more than 100 Japanese organisations, including the Tokyo Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Osaka Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Japan Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Japan Association of Corporate Executives, Japan New Business Conferences, Osaka Prefectural Government, Kawasaki City, Kobe City, Kyoto City, the Kansai Economic Federation, the Kansai Association of Corporate Executives, and the Japan-China Economic Relations and Trade Centre.

About the HKTDCA statutory body established in 1966, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC) is the international marketing arm for Hong Kong-based traders, manufacturers and service providers. With more than 40 global offices, including 11 on the Chinese mainland, the HKTDC promotes Hong Kong as a platform for doing business with China and throughout Asia. The HKTDC also organises trade fairs and business missions to connect companies with opportunities in Hong Kong and on the mainland, while providing information via trade publications, research reports and online. For more information, please visit: www.hktdc.com

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